State Farm Stadium - Fiesta Bowl
- Dave Cottenie
- Jan 19
- 7 min read
Updated: Jan 20
Photos by Dave Cottenie, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.86
State Farm Stadium One Cardinals Drive Glendale, AZ 85305
Year Opened: 2006
Capacity: 63,400
Desert Fiesta
Of the “New Year's Six” Bowl games that currently make up the College Football Playoff, the Fiesta Bowl is by far the youngest. One of the two Bowl games currently run by the Fiesta Sports Foundation, the Rate Bowl being the other, the Fiesta Bowl is of humble beginnings. The first Fiesta Bowl was played in 1971 at Sun Devil Stadium and featured the champion of the Western Athletic Conference.
The Fiesta Bowl would get an upgrade with the formation of the Big XII Conference, which would send its champion beginning in 1997. The Fiesta Bowl became part of the Bowl Coalition, Bowl Alliance, BCS, and eventually the “New Year's Six,” bringing them amongst the highest profile bowl games. The Fiesta Bowl currently rotates among the six as a quarter or semi-final game in the College Football Playoff. It is also among the rotations for the National Championship game, in addition to the playoff game.
The Fiesta Bowl was played on the campus of Arizona State University until 2006. The opening of what is currently known as State Farm Stadium brought the bowl game into a professional atmosphere. State Farm Stadium was built as the home of the Arizona Cardinals of the NFL and has brought the biggest events to the desert, including the NCAA Final Four, WrestleMania, and the biggest concerts, including The Rolling Stones and Taylor Swift. It is located in Glendale, Arizona, northwest of Phoenix, and owned by the Arizona Sports & Tourism Authority.
Food & Beverage 5
The concession selection at State Farm Stadium is pretty huge and what would be expected at a modern NFL stadium. A healthy mix of stadium staples and unique, local options is found at State Farm Stadium, and the website does a great job of detailing everything.
Some of the local options that can be found at the stadium include AZ Nuts, Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers, Honey Bear’s BBQ, Maui Wowi, Sonneburros, Spinato’s Pizza, and Chicago Dawg House. Some items of interest that should be considered include the Chicken & Waffles, Donut Ice Cream Sandwich, Mexican Street Corn Dog, and Birria Disco Fries. There are a number of “Grab and Go” points that keep the flow of traffic moving. Fans will definitely be satisfied with the options.
Atmosphere 5
State Farm Stadium has one of the most unique exterior looks of any stadium in the United States. The rounded silver exterior has huge, distinct panels and was designed to mimic a snake curled around a barrel cactus. Upon closer inspection, State Farm is essentially an interior stadium with a giant, silver exoskeleton. If there is a main entrance, it is probably at the north end.
Fans should definitely check out the Pat Tillman bronze statue at the north corner. Tillman was an Arizona State defensive back who went on to play for the Cardinals. He famously left his NFL contract to join the Army Rangers and fight in Afghanistan. He was, unfortunately, killed by friendly fire. On the east side of the northeast side of the stadium, between State Farm Stadium and Desert Diamond Arena, is the Fiesta Bowl Fan Fest.
The outdoor area, free to all fans, features a variety of food trucks, promotion tents, some games, a stage, and a large replica of the Fiesta Bowl Trophy. At the 2026 Fiesta Bowl, which was reviewed, the Fan Fest had Dirks Bentley performing on the stage. There are large screens for fans in the back to also be able to see the performance. A ticketed Club ‘71 Pregame Party is also in the general vicinity. There is a Fiesta Bowl Parade, which, curiously, took place five days before the game.
Inside State Farm Stadium, there are a number of pop-up merchandise stands with Fiesta Bowl-specific items, including the teams that are participating. Several murals that are locally focused or feature the Arizona Cardinals are also found in the concourse. Inside the seating bowl, the field is north-south oriented with the best view of the 50-yard line logo from the west.
Seating in the lower bowl is centric to each school, with one school dominating the east side and another, the west side. The upper bowl is a bit more mixed. A large, open social area is in the upper bowl at the north end, with open seating at the end as well. To host the Fiesta Bowl, State Farm Stadium must add extra seating to meet the minimum capacity.
This is found at the field level at the south end. Both university bands set up at the south end. State Farm Stadium has retractable roof panels, which are normally closed. The panels are translucent and do let in a fair bit of natural light. A pair of videoboards is found at the north and south ends, with the larger of the two at the south.
The gameday atmosphere at the Fiesta Bowl is typical of a college bowl game. Both school bands perform before kickoff and during halftime. The Fiesta Bowl mascot, Spirit, takes part in promotions and interacts with fans, as well as the school mascots if applicable.
Neighborhood 3
State Farm Stadium is located 9 miles northwest of Phoenix in the Glendale Sports and Entertainment District. There has been plenty written about the location of sports properties so far from Phoenix, Tempe and Scottsdale. There is no argument that location aided in the demise of the Arizona Coyotes of the NHL. That being said, there are some spots for pre and post-game food and drink that are not too far. Some of these include Yard House, Dave & Busters, Olive Garden and other chain restaurants.
State Farm Stadium is the regular home of the Arizona Cardinals. The former home of the Coyotes, Desert Diamond Arena is home to Professional Bull Riding and also schedules a number of concerts. Camelback Ranch is in Glendale is home to the Glendale Desert Dogs, Los Angeles Dodgers Spring Training and Chicago White Sox Spring Training. There are also a number of other sporting options in Phoenix and Tempe.
Other tourist items near Glendale include Desert Diamond Casino, Sahuaro Ranch Park and Tanger Outlets. For fans wishing to stay near State Farm Stadium, Renaissance Phoenix Glendale, Hampton Inn and Homes 2 Suites are all close options.
Fans 4
As with any Bowl game, the fans are dependent on the schools that are participating. The Fiesta Bowl regularly welcomes over 65,000 for the game. However, an added hiccup to the fan experience has been the expansion of the playoff. When the Fiesta Bowl is a semi-final, as it was in 2026, fans are expected to travel to their second or third site of the College Football Playoff.
The quarterfinals are also “New Years Six” bowl games at neutral sites. The Fiesta Bowl is required to expand its capacity for the game, but rarely reaches that capacity. The behavior and engagement of the fans is completely dependent on the schools participating and will change from year to year. However, it cannot be denied that the Fiesta Bowl is a major sporting experience with consistently strong crowds.
Access 4
State Farm Stadium is located in the Glendale Sports & Entertainment District on the north side of Cardinals, between AZ-101, 91st Street and Maryland Avenue. It is also 8 ½ miles west of !-17 and 5 miles north of I-10. The stadium is surrounded by parking. Getting there is not going to be too difficult. Pre-paying for parking is advisable.
For fans who wish to take public transit to the game, there are bus stops along Glendale Ave. Fans should consult the Valley Metro website for fares, schedules and maps. With the pregame fan fest bringing people in very early, getting to the stadium is not that difficult. However, getting out of Glendale is a different story. It can take quite a while to get moving out of the parking garage or parking lots. Getting around the stadium is not too difficult and the washroom facilities at State Farm Stadium are solid. State Farm Stadium is a cashless facility.
The Fiesta Bowl is very clear about their clear bag policies. However, it is important to ensure that resources are consulted before heading out to the game to get the most up to date security information. Stadium Journey strongly recommends consulting the Fiesta Bowl and State Farm Stadium websites for the most up to date security protocols, bag policies and prohibited items.
Return on Investment 4
Fiesta Bowl tickets start at $60 and go up into the hundreds and thousands on the secondary market. It is a major event as a semi-final or quarter-final for the College Football Playoff. Most of the tickets for the 2026 game were in the $200 range.
As with most bowl games, it is advised to wait to purchase tickets until the teams are secured. Often, a high number of tickets will hit the secondary market at this point. Parking can be found for $25-$35 and concession prices are what one would expect for an NFL facility. The return for the investment is quite high. The game has the potential to be very good and the stakes are higher than a normal bowl game. The bands and fans charge up the atmosphere and help provide a great time.
Extras 2
An extra mark for the Fiesta Bowl Museum which is found in Old Scottsdale and provides a history of the game that is worth checking out.
An extra mark for the revolutionary sliding field, which travels out the south end on an intricate track system so that it can be maintained in the sun.
Final Thoughts
Being amongst the most significant bowl games as a member of the “New Years Six,” the Fiesta Bowl is a major sporting event in Arizona annually. State Farm Stadium provides a professional atmosphere with plenty of big event feel. This is a long way from the inception of the Fiesta Bowl back in 1971.
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